Traditionally, there has been widely known a display control device (e.g. game device) in which a character is moved within a virtual space in response to predetermined user operations (e.g. operations by touching: hereinafter, touch operations) received via a controller (e.g. touch panel).
In traditional display control devices, the predetermined user operations are assigned exclusively to instructions to move the character. Users in general however want to be able to input various instructions. To meet the needs of the users, one conceivable approach is to improve the traditional technology so that a predetermined user operation for moving a character is also assigned to a different instruction.
It is an object of the technology herein to provide a display control system, a display control method, a display control device, and a display control program each enabling prevention of problems attributed to assignment of a predetermined operation to two or more instructions including the movement of the character.
(1) An exemplary embodiment is a display control system configured to display a character in a virtual space. This display control system includes: a controller, a mover, and a motion controller. The controller is configured to receive a predetermined user operation. The mover is configured to move the character within the virtual space, while the predetermined user operation is received by the controller. The motion controller is configured to cause the character to make a predetermined motion and bring back the position of the character to the position before the character is moved by the mover in response to the predetermined user operation, when a period from the start to the end of the predetermined user operation is shorter than a predetermined period.
In the above structure, the character moves within the virtual space during the period of receiving the predetermined user operation; however, if the period from the start to the end of the reception of the predetermined user operation is shorter than the predetermined period at the end of the reception of the predetermined user operation, the character makes a predetermined motion. As described, it is possible to input two ore more types of instructions by a predetermined user operation; i.e., an instruction to move the character, and an instruction to cause the character to make a predetermined motion.
As hereinabove mentioned, when a predetermined user operation is assigned to an operation for inputting two or more types of instructions including an instruction to move the character, the user may unintentionally move the character, even though the user conducted the predetermined user operation to cause the character to make a predetermined motion. Occurrence of an unintended effect additionally to the effect intended by the user through the predetermined user operation spoils the enjoyment. If user does not wish to move the character, an operation is needed to bring back the character to the position before the movement, which is troublesome. This is particularly true when the predetermined motion is a motion the user wishes the character to make frequently, the operation of bringing back the position needs to be executed frequently, which is significantly troublesome for the user.
In the above-structure, when the period from the start to the end of reception of the predetermined user operation is shorter than the predetermined period, the predetermined user operation is regarded as an operation intended to cause the character to make a predetermined motion, and the position of the character is corrected to bring back to the position of character before the movement by the predetermined user operation. As described, when the character moves although the movement is not intended by the user, the position of the character is automatically changed to return. This effectively prevents the enjoyment from being spoiled by occurrence of an unintended effect in addition to the effect intended by the user. Further, there is no need for the user-troubling operation for bringing back the character to the position before the movement.
(2) the controller may be a pointing device. Further, while an operation of the pointing device designating a position within the display is received as the predetermined user operation, the mover may move the character within the virtual space based on the position designated. The motion controller may cause the character to make a motion based on the position designated, as the predetermined motion.
Since a use of the pointing device allows designation of a position within the display, it is possible to cause an effect to occur based on the designated position. If there are two or more types of effects which occur based on the basis of position designated, the enjoyment of the displayed content is improved. The above structure improves enjoyment of the displayed control by assigning a predetermined user operation to two or more types of instructions, i.e., an instruction to move the character based on the designated position; and an instruction to cause the character to make a predetermined motion based on the designated position. Further, since the position of the character is corrected as described above, it is possible to solve the problem caused by assigning the predetermined user operation to two or more types of instructions, while improving the enjoyment of the displayed content by assigning the predetermined user operation to two or more types of instructions.
(3) The motion controller may cause the character to make a motion of moving an object other than the character to the position designated, as the motion based on the position designated. With this structure, a predetermined user operation enables input of two or more types of instructions: i.e., an instruction to move the character based on the designated position; and an instruction to cause the character to make the motion of moving another object to the designated position. Thus, the predetermined user operation enables input of instructions to change the positions of two types of objects (character, and the other object). Further, as is mentioned above, since the position of the character is corrected, it is possible to solve the problem caused by assigning the predetermined user operation to instructions for changing the positions of two types of objects.
(4) The pointing device may be a touch panel. In general, when the pointing device is a touch panel, a touch panel is disposed so as to overlap the display, and such a display may only allow one pointing device for designating a position.
However, since the above structure assigns the predetermined user operation to two or more types of instructions, it is possible to provide two or more types of different effects based on the designated position, even when the structure only allows one pointing device for designating a position. Further, as hereinabove mentioned, since the position of the character is corrected, it is possible to provide the above effects, while solving the problem caused by assigning the predetermined user operation to instructions for changing the positions of two types of objects.
(5) The display control system may further include a position storage configured to store, as a correction-end position, the position before the character is moved by the mover in response to the predetermined user operation. Further, the motion controller may change the position of the character gradually from a correction-start position to the correction-end position stored in the position storage, the correction-start position being the position of the character at an end of reception of the predetermined user operation. Since this structure gradually brings back the position of the character to the position before the movement, the position of the character is corrected without giving visually uncomfortable feeling to the user.
(6) The display control system may further include: a display and a camera position changer. The display is configured to display an image of the virtual space taken by a virtual camera set within the virtual space The camera position changer is configured to change the position of the camera to follow a movement of the character at a predetermined follow rate, so that the camera and the character have a predetermined positional relation. Further, the camera position changer sets the predetermined follow rate so that the follow rate in a first period is lower than that of a second period, the first period being part of a period of receiving the predetermined user operation by the controller, ranging from a start of receiving the predetermined user operation to a predetermined time, the second period being part of the period of receiving the predetermined user operation by the controller, excluding the first period.
In the above structure, when the character is moved by the predetermined user operation, the position of the camera is also changed, following the movement of the character, so that the camera and the character have a predetermined positional relation. However, when the period from the start to the end of the reception of the predetermined user operation is shorter than the predetermined period, the position of the character is corrected to the position before the character is moved by the predetermined user operation. When the period from the start to the end of the reception of the predetermined user operation is shorter than the predetermined period, the camera and the character have the predetermined positional relation after the correction of the position of the character, without need of the camera position following the movement of the character. Therefore, the camera position following the movement of the character is an unnecessary process, until a period from the start of reception of the predetermined user operation reaches a predetermined period. Further, if the camera follows the movement of the character, and follows the change in the position of the character by the correction, the viewpoint reciprocates within a short period which may cause the user to feel visually uncomfortable.
In the above structure however, since the follow rate is set so that the follow rate in a period from the start of the reception of the predetermined user operation to the point where elapsed time reaches a predetermined time is lower than that of the other period, the unnecessary process of having the camera position following the character hardly occurs, and the user feels visually less uncomfortable.
Further, the above mentioned examples may be implemented in the forms of display control method, display control device, and a computer-readable storage medium.
With the above structure, it is possible to assign a predetermined operation to two or more instructions including the movement of the character, while preventing the problem in doing so.